Okayama Box Lunch — Local services in Okayama

I used the Okayama Ekiben on a winter evening with my wife at the beginning of a short visit to Matsue. After a short trip on the Kodama Shinkansen, we arrived in Okayama to transfer to the Yakumo Limited Express. Yakumo can take over three hours to travel to Matsue, and I was tired from work, so I was excited to have Okayama Ekiben for dinner with my wife! For those who are concerned with details, it was a Monday, December 23. The time is around 6 o’clock.

Okayama Ekiben is on the shinkansen side of the platform, so please be careful to choose your Ekiben before the transfer. This shop is just a counter and display, so you can easily feel rushed by the many people hurrying behind you in the station. The display case is large and has many colorful options to consider. My goal was the Original Chinben Octopus Rice, from Mihara station, but I was also interested in the Good Chicken Ekiben and the Momotaro’s Festival Sushi. Please be careful of the availability in the evening. My wife was very excited for the Good Chicken and the Momotaro’s Festival Sushi as well, and I was going to choose it. However, I got too excited while considering the options, and when I looked up, Good Chicken and Momotaro’s Fesitval Sushi had sold the last one! My wife was very sad, and decided on the Warm Tajima Beef Rice from Himeji with a pout on her face. Please order with a decisive spirit to not miss the chance!

I was still able to buy the Original Chinben Octopus Rice for myself, and also chose the Setouchi Weather (50th anniversary of Sanyo Shinkansen full line opening). It is a unique bento to the Okayama station with a special edition sleeve to celebrate the opening of the Sanyo Shinkansen line. Okayama specialties are exciting at Okayama station, and the Shinkansen 500 series train on the sleeve fills me with excitement for the train ride.

Even if the storefront is a little busy, and it can feel hurried boarding the train, once I sit down in the Yakumo Limited Express I can relax, and look forward to the meal. My wife was very hungry and could not wait to start her Warm Tajima Beef Rice. Pull the string out and wait for eight minutes. I started a timer to make sure the time is correct. As for me, I have some studying I want to do first. Start reading . . . immediately, my wife asks if it has been 8 minutes yet. Look at the watch: it is only 2 minutes 30 seconds ! ! I can tell she is very excited. Once she starts eating she seems to enjoy it very much.

The Original Chinben Octopus Rice is in a octagonal box that reminds me of the octopus. Open it and find 4 pieces of octopus boiled in shouyu and sake. Even when cool it is incredibly tender and full of flavour! Rolled egg is wonderfully sweet and pairs nicely with the gentle octopus flavour of the rice. Simmered shrimp, shiitake, and bamboo shoots are nice additions, and the quail egg and pickles finish the Ekiben with a feeling that makes me want to enjoy this octopus rice on repeat!

As for the Setouchi Weather Ekiben, even if is has many Okayama specialties (fried Okayama pork, fried octopus, shrimp tempura, boiled vegetables, hijiki seaweed, rice balls, octopus rice), most of the items do not excite me like the Chinben Octopus rice. This time the octopus is chewy, the fried pork has a disappointing crunch, and the octopus rice is not as fragrant as the first one. However, lotus root in mustard mayonnaise is delicious, and I wish there were more of this dish. Sweet potato dessert is also enjoyable. The 50th anniversary edition comes with a special keychain: for us, we get the Okayama station keychain, which is appropriate for where we ordered the Ekiben.

For those who usually eat on the Shinkansen: please be careful on the Yakumo Limited Express ! ! Unlike the Shinkansen the ride is a lot less smooth, and you may find the Ekiben box wants to slide around on the table! Please secure it firmly so you can enjoy it to the end!

For a long trip to Shimane prefecture, I recommend Ekiben from Okayama Ekiben to enjoy the train ride completely.

Thank you...

岡山駅で駅弁探し♫2

今回は「だし巻きとあなご弁当」を。

器の半分を占めるだし巻き玉子がインパクトあります♫これ、玉子の下にご飯がありません！！ガッチリ玉子を食べられますがより酒のアテ方向。大きいので途中で何かで味変出来るとより良いのでは？と思ってしまします。

更にあなごさんは白焼きとタレの２種類をご用意♫最高ですね。ふっくらとしっかりと。ご飯には味が付いているので全アテでも行けます！

いつも桃太郎御一行のあなご弁当でしたが穴子弁当も色々試してみるべきだと思いました。美味しかったです♫ありがとうございます！ご馳走様でしたー♫

岡山駅で駅弁探し♫

着任当初はこの弁当に感動しましたね。浜吉さんの「あなご飯」♫岡山で買うとパッケージが桃太郎エディションです。広島で買うと宮島の鳥居が。人気弁当っすね。

あなごは丁度良い食感の焼き加減、と醤油ご飯にお漬物というシンプル構成。ご飯に味が付いているのであなごで１杯、〆でご飯なんてのも♫付属のタレで味を調整出来るのが良いですね。

最近、岡山駅の在来線改札内の駅弁屋に売ってないような？何でだろ？そして世の流れ、¥1600也。初めて出会った頃は¥1200だったかなー？でも、帰任最後の日にはこれ...

令和６年１０月某日、出張の帰りに利用しました。 朝７時前から営業している駅弁やさんです。 朝移動の多い私はとても重宝しています。 ただし、あまり早いと一部お弁当が入荷前で購入できません、ご注意を。おおむね９時くらいに揃うのではないでしょうか。 今日は、コンテナ弁当鯛めしを狙っていたのですが、やはり入荷は９時ころになるとのこと、残念。 それではと思い、だし巻きとあなご弁当を注文、新幹線で食べる駅弁って私の中では、食事ではなく、お酒のあてなんですよねえ。なので、角ハイボールと三光を購入しようとしたところ、「三光はアルコール度数が20％なので…結構きついですよ。」と店員のお姉さんが心配してくれました。 ありがたい。これを親切ととるかおせっかいととるか人さまざまなんでしょうけど私はすごく心配してくれるお姉さんに感謝しました。まるでお母んが息子の心配をしてくれているようでとても感謝です。 新幹線に乗って早速だし巻きとあなご弁当と角ハイボール頂きます。うまい、やはりあなごとだし巻きはお酒に合う。三光はお持ち帰りです。 ごちそう...